Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away
by Wine-into-Water
Summary: Fred remembers a night he'd just as soon forget. Character Death Stand Alone


Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away  
  
Stand Alone  
  
Rating: PG13  
  
Summary: Memories of one awful night haunt Fred. Alternative ending to "32 bullets over Broadway and a broken heart" (At least I think that's the right eppy)  
  
Disclaimer: NBC, WB and John Wells own these great characters.  
  
Authors Note: This one isn't for everybody. So warning Character Death. Why put out a story like this during the holidays? Maybe I'm just a twisted soul but really hopefully it can make someone stop before they get behind the wheel after they have been drinking. Who knows?  
  
Feedback: You know I crave it.  
  
Email- Wine_into_Water@hotmail.com  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"My name is Fred .and I'm an alcoholic."  
  
"Hi Fred." The group said in unison as Fred took his seat.  
  
An older, grayer man sat at the other side of the circle.  
  
"Fred would you like to tell us your story? Why you are here?  
  
It was the last thing Fred wanted to do. He never wanted to remember that day again but the images still-haunted him. Never letting him sleep, never letting him get through a day without breaking down and fighting with every fiber in his body not to take another drink.  
  
He leaned forward in his chair resting his head in his hands and began to remember that day.  
  
****  
  
Blood leaked into his eyes causing them to sting. He still wasn't sure what had happened but he opened the car door and stumbled out and fell out to the pavement.  
  
"Hey man you alright?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Dude you should really be sitting down. I called 911 someone will be here any minute." The young man put his arm on his shoulder to lead him to the curb but Fred only pushed it away.  
  
With his speech slurred he said, "I'm fine just leave me alone."  
  
He stumbled again and fell back down to the pavement. He decided to stay there. His head was hurting too much to put up much of a fight.  
  
Sirens came screaming down the street as a cop car stopped a few feet away.  
  
"Look Faith I said I was sorry. Why can't I just buy you another bag of fries?"  
  
"Because it's the principle of the matter Bosco"  
  
'Oh god no' he heard his wife and her partner bickering as the doors of the squad car slammed shut.  
  
"Great. Another looser decides a bus shelter is a good spot to park his car." Bosco said annoyed.  
  
There voices where getting closer Bosco's voice becoming clearer but still he couldn't fully understand what was going on around him.  
  
"Bos"  
  
Fred looked up when he noticed a panic in Faiths voice he saw Faiths hand reach out to grab her partner's arm as she saw the car. "Bosco its Fred's car"  
  
Fred could here the loud thumping of there shoes hitting the pavement as they ran up to him. 'Shit now he was in for it.'  
  
"Fred did you make it to the school yet?"  
  
Fred's head was spinning. Faiths words didn't seem to be making words anymore everything was getting darker and her voice was getting muffled like she was trying to talk around a mouth full of cotton.  
  
"Fred! Answer me!"  
  
He still didn't answer not knowing what she had said. Fred just noticed as she ran over to a car. 'Wasn't that his car?'  
  
The last thing he saw was Bosco clearing away a crowd a ways away from the car. They were surrounding something. 'Had he hit something?'  
  
"Faith!" He heard Bosco yell as his world went black.  
  
****  
  
The loud noises had finally woken him up. He sat up looking around.  
  
"Damn it" He rubbed his hands over his face and winced as he came in contact with what felt like a cut on his forehead. He couldn't remember how he got here never mind how he got the gash but he was sober enough now to realize where he was and he knew he had to get out of there before Faith's shift was over.  
  
"Hey guard!"  
  
A small skinny cop approached the holding cell.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look I slept it off ok let me out of here now."  
  
"Sorry Sir can't do that."  
  
"What do you mean you can't do that? My wife's a cop "  
  
"I know who your wife is Sir and she's the one that gave me strict orders to keep you here."  
  
"Shit she knows?"  
  
"You could say that sir."  
  
"Damn it!" He hit the steel bars and walked back to the bench he had been lying on.  
  
****  
  
"Bosco you shouldn't go in there."  
  
Fred heard someone trying to stop Bosco as he entered through the doors and head straight for his cell.  
  
"Fred."  
  
"Don't need to hear anything you have to say Boscorelli. Just get Faith in here to get me out of here."  
  
"Gee Fred, Faiths a bit busy at the moment sitting by her daughters bedside.Open this door!" He screamed at the cop on guard.  
  
A younger cop that Fred couldn't remember meeting before shook his head at the young officer. Torn the young officer just stood there debating what to do.  
  
"Open the damn door now!"  
  
The younger officer in charge of the cell was obviously scared of Bosco and quickly grabbed the keys from the desk and began to unlock the cell door.  
  
'Shit'.  
  
Bosco stormed in and grabbed Fred by the collar and held him to the wall.  
  
"Get off of me you little jerk." Fred unsuccessfully tried to push him away.  
  
"You don't even care do you?  
  
"Charlie will be fine. He only has a concussion. Emmy on the other hand won't make the night.  
  
Fred could feel his heart starting to beat faster. He was even grateful that Bosco was holding him against the wall because he felt all strength in his legs disappear as the meaning of Bosco's words sunk in.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me!"  
  
Bosco let go and Fred slid down the wall.  
  
"Em's hurt?"  
  
"Hurt? No Fred she's not hurt, she's dying!"  
  
Fred getting his strength back stood up and stormed up to Bosco.  
  
"You little son of a bitch, How cruel can you be? What Faith put you up to this? You guys trying to prove a point or something? I had one beer that's it. A car swerved and I had to dodge it so we banged into something. The kids are fine."  
  
Bosco stared back at him.  
  
"You sure Fred? Did you check on them before you crawled your sorry ass to the curb and passed out?"  
  
Fred was about to take a swing at Bosco when the tall younger cop he didn't remember stepped in between.  
  
"Mr. Yokas."  
  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
"My name is Officer Davis sir I work with your wife."  
  
"Oh so you're in on it too?"  
  
"I'm afraid Bosco is telling the truth Sir. We've come to escort you to the hospital."  
  
****  
  
Fred was sitting in the back seat of the squad car. Officer Davis was driving and Bosco in the passenger seat. The sirens wailed as they drove.  
  
Bosco had been saying something but whether it was directed at him or Davis he didn't know. He couldn't concentrate on what either men where saying. He just stared out the window and watched as countless street corners flew by and prayed that this was just a dream a nightmare and that any minute his alarm clock would buzz and he'd be back at home with his family.  
  
"Get out!"  
  
Bosco's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He glanced around and noticed that they were parked outside of Mercy's hospital Emergency doors.  
  
He felt Bosco's hand clasp around his arm and start to pull.  
  
"If it was up to me you'd still be sitting in that jail cell. But Faith wants you here so move!"  
  
Fred did as he was ordered and allowed Bosco to lead him through what seemed like countless doors and hallways until they stopped in front of one. The door was closed but through it's window he could see Faith sitting by a bed.  
  
Fred watched as Bosco went in and whispered something in Faiths ear. She nodded and stood up. Before she turned to leave she leaned down and rested a kiss on the cheek of the tiny body in the bed.  
  
****  
  
His feet and legs felt like they were made from cement, as much as he tried he couldn't bring them any closer any faster. Finally he reached the bedside and looked down to see that it was Emily lying there just as Bosco had said. Her face was bruised with a few cuts and her body had monitors and tubes hooked to it.  
  
He reached for her hand.  
  
"Baby girl?"  
  
His breath was taken from him as he felt the coldness of her hand. This couldn't be happening not to his Emily. Not to his Emily and not because of him.  
  
Fred felt a squeeze of her hand and he looked up to see her eyes slowly open.  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
"Daddy's here baby girl."  
  
"Are you ok Daddy?"  
  
"Yeah Em daddy's fine."  
  
Emily smiled then closed her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry baby girl."  
  
Emily reopened her eyes and he could feel her little hand squeeze his harder.  
  
"It's ok Daddy. I don't blame you." Her breath began to run short and the beeping of the heart monitor began to slow down. "It was an accident Daddy, I forgive you."  
  
Fred could feel warm tears slide down his cheeks then fall to his t-shirt.  
  
"Em you don't understand."  
  
"Daddy please," She gasped for more air to fill her tiny lungs. "Daddy please don't cry.' She paused on more time before continuing. "I'm going to be fine. Mommy said that Angels are coming to get me and I'll get to stay with them for awhile so I'm not scared anymore."  
  
He brushed a few strands of hair from her face and kissed her forehead.  
  
"I don't want them to take you Emily. I want you to stay here with us."  
  
"Mommy says I can't. Something's wrong inside and they can't fix it."  
  
Fred felt his knees grow weak he felt back for the chair Faith had been sitting on. When his hand touched the armrest of the chair he pulled it closer and sat down. Never letting his little girls hand go.  
  
"Daddy, I'm getting sleepy."  
  
"No Em not yet please baby girl, stay awake for Daddy.Just a little longer."  
  
Her head slightly nodded, "I'll try Daddy"  
  
Fred knew he shouldn't make her talk anymore her breaths were becoming harder for her to inhale. It seemed she kept running out of air and when she did the heart monitor would change its pace. So he would just sit there holding his little girl's hand.  
  
"Daddy?" she whispered.  
  
Before he could stop her she continued.  
  
"Could you sing me my song.the one you always use to sing before bedtime? I don't get scared of the dark after I hear it.  
  
"Of course Emily."  
  
Fred found the strength in his legs to stand back up.  
  
With a raspy voice he began to sing.  
  
"You are my sunshine. My only sunshine."  
  
A small smile spread over Emily's lips and she closed her eyes.  
  
"You make me happy when sky's are gray."  
  
Fred heard the monitor slow down even more.  
  
"You'll never know dear how much .I love you."  
  
He leaned down lightly kissed her cheek then whispered "I love you baby girl"  
  
"Love you too." Her voice so quiet that he almost missed it.  
  
"Please.Please don't take my sunshine away."  
  
As the last words where sung he felt the strength in Emily's hand disappear and her hand went limp in his with the heart monitor beginning a long loud continuous beep.  
  
All the strength he had, left him and he fell to his knees. Holding her tiny hand in both of his to his face he began to cry.  
  
With a quiet cracking voice he finished,  
  
"Please don't take my sunshine away."  
  
~Fin~ 


End file.
